An Explanation

DEAR COMRADE, – Will you allow me to correct a mistake in the report of our last conference?

I have only just seen the report, and in the discussion of the resolution in the appeal to the International I am reported to have said that “the members of the International Bureau did not understand the position of the movement in England.” That is entirely different from what I said. My contention was that in a question of internal organisation, the party in this country ought to know their way better than the delegate of the International Congress, and as an example I instanced the fact that the representative of revolutionary Socialism in England had had voted in the International Bureau of 1904 to admit the Russian Social-Revolutionary Party, which is not even a working-class party. I meant that on the question of the relations between various organisations in any country those immediately concerned must be more competent to judge than outsiders. Then I tried to point out that the International Congress, consisting of a great many delegates and having only three days at its disposal, is unable to solve the problem unless they have a definite principle question before them.

It is probable that the mistake arose from my incomplete knowledge of the English language.